Sunday marked the 84th anniversary of the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941, which brought the United States into World War II.
The American Legion Post 29 honored the fallen with a ceremony at the cluster of monuments on Greenwich Avenue that includes World War II, Vietnam and Korea.
Contributed photo
Contributed photo
Dean Gamanos places a wreath in front of the war memorials on the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Contributed photo
“Today we honor those Americans who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor – and that we never forget the courage and sacrifice of that greatest generation and how they answered the call for service to defend our freedoms,” said Greenwich Police Chief Heavey, a Desert Storm veteran and vice commander of American Legion Post 29, to a small gathering on Sunday that was broadcast on WGCH 1490am on Monday (recorded by WGCH reporter Robin DuCharme Pastore).
Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States, addressed a joint session of Congress on December 8, 1941, referring to December 7, 1941 as “a date which will live in infamy.”
“But it should also be recalled as a day of bravery,” Heavey said, noting that in the wake of the attack, 15 Medals of Honor were awarded to sailors, 51 Navy Crosses were awarded for valor and 53 Silver Star Medals were awarded, though thousands of acts of heroism that occurred on that date over 80 years ago were not recognized with medals because the documentation was not a priority over surviving and saving fellow service members.
“It’s a tall order for us to think about what they had to do and were facing after eight battleships were severely damaged, 180 aircraft were destroyed, and 2,403 soldiers and sailors were killed that day.”
Heavey said that while the survivors of Pearl Harbor bombing have long been the center of remembrance, today only 84 survivors are still alive – and they are all over 100 years old. Sadly this year, none of the survivors, with their first hand accounting of the battle, were able to return to Pearl Harbor as they have in the past.
As part of the ceremony wreaths were placed at the memorial.